Method of casting car-wheels



(No Model.)

W. WILMINGTON. METHOD OF GASTING GAR WHEELS- INVENTOR Y A WITNESSESATTORNEYS.

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N. PETERS, Frwwumu m m. Washington. 0. c.

NrrEn STATES PATE T FFICE;

\VILLIAM \VILMINGTON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

. METHOD OF CASTING CAR-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,741, dated December4, 1883. Application filed October 20, 1883. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it 772/661! concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WILMINGTON, of Toledo, in the county ofLucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMethods of Casting Car-lVheels; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of thisspecification,

This inventionrelates to the manufacture of cast-iron car-wheels, theobject being to modify the chill-hardening qualities of the cast-ironforming the hub and plate portions of the wheel, to prevent these partsfrom becoming too hard and rigid, which occurs from the molten ironforming these portionsbeing too suddenly cooled by the moist sand andthe cold compact cores of the mold. The prevention of the hardening ofthe hub and plate portions of the wheel by an admixture of anotherquality of metal at these points will secure a degree of softness andelasticity to the hub and plate parts of the wheel, the advantages ofwhich are well known.

Heretofore Letters Patent of the United States have been granted me (No.273,658, dated March 6, 1883, and No. 281,422, dated July 17, 1883) formethods of modifying the chill-hardening qualities of the iron formingthe hub and inner plate parts of car-wheels, the first being adisplacement process, and the second a churning or agitating process.These methods produce more or less beneficial results; but there areobjections to these methods, because of the increased cost, and also theuncertainty of melting the powdered ,ferro-1nanganese or its equivalentsby con- 1 tact with a certain and unchanging quantity of molten iron inthe receiving-basin of the mold. Another objection is because of thenatural cooling of the molten iron and the increased rapidity of coolingof thesamewhenthe cold ferro-manganese or its equivalent is placed inthe basin. The ferro-manganese in consequence will not always be meltedand diffused in sufficient quantity to modify the chilling properties ofthe iron forming the hub and plate parts of the car-wheel to that degreewhich is desirable.

To secure with certainty the melting of powdered or granulated ferro-man ganese or its wheehjand to lessen the cost of the wheel, are.

the objects of my improvement. In carrying out my invention, Itake in apouring-ladle a suffioient quantity of iron to .pour acar-wheel weighingabout five hundred .and fifty pounds andpour'it into the mold in theordinary manner of casting car-wheels, with the exception or addition ofthe following process: When the mold is about threefourths filled withmolten iron, and while the metal is flowing, I commence to placegradually intothe current of molten iron flowing from the pouring-ladle(or in the receivingbasin) about a pound of finely-powderedferromanganese or its equivalent, allowing the same to be melted by itsparticles being in contact and interminglin g with the hotter andcontinuous stream of molten iron falling into the basin during the lastof the filling of the mold. The continuous flow of molten iron into thebasin will carry with it into the mold the ferro-manganese or itsequivalent, which will be disseminated in the molten iron forming thehub and plate portions of the wheel. The molten iron which has formedthe parts of the tread of the wheel, which is most sub ject to wear,being in contact with the chill of the mold, has become solidified tosuch an extent that will prevent the diffusion of the ferro-manganese inthe same.

To modify the chilling qualities of the iron composing the hub and plateportions by my process, I prefer to uselferrogp ganpse, because it takesless to produce the desired results. However, I'do not confine myself tothe use of ferro-manganese alone to modify the iron composing the huband plate parts of car-wheels, because in using different qualities ofchill-hardening cast-irons I find it desirable, instead of theferro-manganese, to use powdered or granulated spiegeleisen in largerproportions. I also find it desirable to use for the same purpose by myprocess small particles of castiron derived from cast-iron which hasbeen made from argillaceous or black-band iron ores, having alargeproportion of uncombined carbon in their composition.

by my process, as the same may be varied to v meet the requirements ofthe chill-hardening irons from which the car-wheel is to be cast.

The drawing represents a cross-section of a single plated car-wheelmold.

A shows the receiving-basin, and B represents two or more openings inthe bottom of the basin, leading into the mold.

I'disclaim as my invention the broad idea of alloying molten cast-ironwith an admixture of ferro-manganese, 'spiegeleisen, or other metalsderived from argillaceous or blackband iron ores when thesame is meltedin a furnace, cupola, or crucible.

I alsodisclaim in this application for a patent melting by contact withmolten iron in a receiving-basin of a car-wheel mold powdered orgranulated ferro-manganese or its equiva-- l'ent,when the same is meltedby contact with molten iron in a receiving-basin containing anunchanging quantity of molten cast-iron.

The distinctive feature of my invention is in the single pouring and thegradual addition of the form-manganese to the flowing metal at thelatter end of the pouring,whereby I save the expense and time of twopourings, or one pouring and a mixing operation, and whereby theferromanganese is more certainly carried into the mold, and moreuniformly disseminated.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- Ihe method of casting car wheels whichconsists in pouring into the mold of a carwheel about three-fourths thecapacity of the mold of suitable chill-hardening cast-iron, then, in thesame pouring, placing in the current of the molten iron from thepouring-ladle, or iii the receiving-basin of the mold, a quantity offerro manganese or its equivalent, whereby the same is melted by thecontinuous falling and intermingling of the same with the stream ofmolten iron from the ladle into the basin, and is carried thence intothe mold by the inflow of molten metal from the basin, thus causing theferro-manganese to be disseminated in the molten iron forming the huband plate portions of the wheel, all substantially as described, and forthe purpose heretofore set forth.

\VILLIAIWI WILMINGTON.

lVitnesses:

F. E. PoMERoY, J r., H. E. PILOHER.

